Gordon, who won at Kansas earlier this month to secure a place in the Chase Grid, noted that while he’s still feeling residual effects after NASCAR’s longest race, he’ll be good to go for the FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks.

“I wouldn’t say I’m 100%,” said Gordon, who does have a degenerative disc and needed an epidural and a Cortisone shot for treatment last week.

“I’m back closer to normal, which is just always aggravation and some discomfort. I’m still feeling some of the effects of what went on last week, but I felt good in the car. I didn’t have any sharp pains, so that’s good.

“I just had a week of rest and normal activity – lots of ice this week. I was pretty sore on Monday and Tuesday after that long 600, but that’s not totally unusual; but probably just a little bit more than normal because of all that I went through. So, I feel good for this weekend.”

Nonetheless, the four-time Cup champion indicated that the matter was a wake-up call to him – not just regarding his conditioning but about possibly being forced to hang up his helmet.

“I think that it really more pointed toward some things that I have to address throughout a race weekend and how I handle the downtime,” he said. “I’ve been working a lot harder on my training and riding a bike and exercising and the problem with that is that it tightens everything up even more so than normal.

“If I don’t stay loose and ice and do other things that keep me loose when I get to the race weekend, what happened could possible occur again. So, that’s the biggest thing I’m focused on; not thinking or focusing on anything else. I can tell you if that happens many more times, I won’t have a choice [regarding retirement].”

But despite talk of the R-word, Gordon is having none of it. While not annoyed by such chatter, he insists his focus is on remaining as consistent as he has been on the track and contending for a fifth Cup title this fall.

“I think that if anything, [the 600] only built more momentum for our race team to go through what we went through, he said.

“And to go have that kind of a race – to show the team what kind of determination I have as well as kind of show our competitors that it’s going to take a lot to get us down – I think that did more good for us for this season and our chances for a championship than anything else.”